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Shell Pasta with Shellfish and Tomatoes
Known as ditaloni alla marinari al cucchiaio at chef Corrado Biló’s restaurant Trattoria la Moretta in the Italian coastal city of Ancona, the dish translates quite simply as “seafood ditaloni with a spoon.” Biló told us his inspiration was a pasta dish loaded with seafood, yet easily eaten with a spoon. Ditaloni, a smallish ridged tube pasta, is not easy to find in the U.S., so for our adaptation, we chose medium shells—a seemingly appropriate shape for a seafood dish—or mezzi rigatoni. For a variety of flavor and texture, we use a trio of shellfish: calamari (shrimp is a fine alternative), scallops and mussels (or clams). It’s worth seeking out dry sea scallops—that is, ones that have not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), a preservative that causes them to retain water. Dry scallops have a pinkish hue and a clean, sweet flavor.
4-6
Servings
Don’t forget to cover the Dutch oven after adding the mussels. The lid traps heat in the pot for faster and more even cooking.
40 minutes
Ingredients
-
14½
ounce can whole peeled or diced tomatoes
-
8
ounces medium shell pasta or mezzi rigatoni
Directions
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01Add the tomatoes with juices to a blender; process until smooth, 15 to 30 seconds. Set the tomatoes aside. In a Dutch oven, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1½ teaspoons salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve ¾ cup of the cooking water, then drain. Set the pasta and cooking water aside.